---
title: "Accessibility Checker Rule Help: RPT_Img_AltCommonMisuse"
---
import "../../../styles/ToolHelp.scss"
import { CodeSnippet, Tag } from "carbon-components-react";

<div className="toolHelp">
<Row>
<Column colLg={16} colMd={8} colSm={4} className="toolHead">

### File name used to describe an image

<div id="locLevel"></div>

Check the `"alt"` attribute value is a good alternative for the image

</Column>
</Row>
<Row>
<Column colLg={11} colMd={5} colSm={4} className="toolMain">

### Why is this important?

When an image contains important information that is not available in text on the page, providing a text alternative makes the same information accessible through audio or other channels.

<div id="locSnippet"></div>

### What to do

* If the image conveys meaning, the value of the `"alt"` attribute should be a short description that serves the same purpose as the image. Include any important words from the image in the short description (e.g. `<img alt="submit">`). Do not use a file name;
* OR, if the image is decorative or the same information is also available in text, use the `"alt"` attribute with an empty string as its value (e.g.  `<img alt="">`).

</Column>
<Column colLg={5} colMd={3} colSm={4} className="toolLeft">

### About this requirement

[IBM 1.1.1 Non-text content](https://www.ibm.com/able/requirements/requirements/#1_1_1)
[WCAG 2.1 technique H37](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H37)

### Who does this affect?

 * Blind people using screen readers
 * People who turn off image-loading on their web browsers
 * People using text only, monochrome or braille displays
 * People using text-based browsers (e.g., Lynx) or audio interfaces

</Column>
</Row>
</div>

export default ({ children, _frontmatter }) => (<React.Fragment>{children}</React.Fragment>)
